Coupling



are

WILLIAM B. HATHAWAY, OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO.

' COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 7, 1921.

Application filed. April 5, 1919. Serial No. 287,849.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. HATH- AWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Junction, in the. county of Mesa and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates in general to railway rolling stock and more specifically to a coupling. 7

One object of this invention is the production of a coupling which is positive in operation, and consists of a minimum number of parts, thus causing the positive operation of the device tofirmly couple two coupling heads together and preventing accidental disengagement of the heads so coupled. I

Another object of this invention is the production of a coupling wherein each coupling head is provided with a rotatable coupling wheel held against rotation by leaf springs whereby the wheels-may be rotated to permit the heads to couple, although counter rotation of the wheels will be prevented by said springs.

A still further object ofthis invention is the production of a coupling wherein air pressure may be employed to release the springs from engagement with the wheels,

thus obviating the necessity of trainmen entering between cars where they are likely to be injured, although manual means is also provided for moving the springs from engagement with the coupling wheels.

One practical form of construction and Y assembly of the present invention will be hereinafter described and is illustrated in the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coupling,

the supporting cars being shown fragmentarily.

Fig. '2 is a detail perspective view of one of the coupling heads constructed in ac- ,cordance with my invention.

Fig. 3 is a, central horizontal section through a pair of the couplingheads used to form a coupling, illustrating the manner n which the same lnterengage each other.

In the preferred embodiment of the'present invention about to be specifically described, 5 indicates fragmentarily the ends of two railway cars having draw bars 6 suitably connected thereto and provided With coupling heads 7. 'lhese coaches or ing similar.

the pockets it is obvious they will strike.

The long arm 11 of eachcoupling head'has a slot 14 formed therethrough communicating with the space between the arms and also with the outer surface of the long arm, the walls defining the ends of the slot 1 1 being curved as indicated at 15. A coupling wheel is carried within theslot and comprises a central body 16 which is'mounted upon a journal shaft 17' carried by the long arm 11 and extending through'the body 16 thus rotatably supporting the coupling wheel within the slot 14:. The'fingers 18 extend from the body 16. at a tangent, it being noted that the fingers extend beyond each 1 side surface of the arm 11 andvthe ends of these fingers'areprovide'd with notches 19. The arms 11 of the coupling heads are also provided with substantially triangular sockets 20 upon their inner surfaces into which the projecting ends of the fingers 18 are adapted to extend when'two coupling heads are connected together.

In order to hold the coupling wheels against counter-rotation, a flat spring 21 which must be, of a considerable strength is fixed as indicated at 22 upon each coupling head and engages a projecting finger 18 upon the outer side of the long arm 11.

By referring particularly to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the spring 21 engages within the notch 19 of such finger and thus is positively held against accidentally swinging from engagement with the'finger. Accordingly when two cars are being coupled, the long arm of one coupling head will pass into the pocket of the other coupling head, the interengagement of the heads be- As thelong arms move into the projecting ends of the fingers of the coupling wheels and will thus rotate the coupling wheels infcounter clockwise direction until the coupling heads are engaged with each other at which time a finger of each coupling wheel will be extended into the socket 20 of the opposite coupling head thus connecting the headstogether and under such conditions the springs 21 will be holding the coupling wheels against counter rotation in a clockwise. direction.

In order to release the coupling wheels when it is desired to uncouple the-heads, an air jack is provided in each coupling head. The air jack consists of a bored out cylinder 23 having a slidablepiston 24: therein provided with a stem 25 which supports a connected. ,The branch tubes 32 are connected to the joints 30 and alsothe necks 28. Any suitable means may be connected to the valves 29 to operate the same from the sides of the cars, from the top thereof or inany other place desired, whereby when one valve 29 is open, it is obvious the air from the pipes 8 will pass into the auxiliary hose 1 coupling 31 and will pass through the tubes 32 into the cylinders 23. The pressure of this air is Sll'lllClGIlt to drive the pistons24 outwardly thus causing the heads 26 to move the springs 21 outwardly asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Therefore the springs will disengage the coupling wheels and the same will be allowed to rotate in a clockwise direction thus permitting the coupling heads to disengage each other. It is intended to have the pistons and the heads thereof loose enough to allow the air to gradually escape from the cylinders 23. It may also be desired to uncouple the heads by manual operation and for this reason each head is provided with a crank arm 32 loosely mounted-in brackets 38 upon the The long arm 11 of the coupling head. crank arm32 may be provided with a grip 34: to facilitate the turning thereof. Upon two heads are moved into engagement with, each other, the movement of arfinger of each coupling wheel into the receiving the opposite end of the crank there is pro vided a cam 85 carried within a socket in the long arm directly under the spring 21 as shown in Fig. 3, whereby when the crank 32 "1s swung the cam thereof will move the spring outwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3 to cause the same to disengage the couplingwheel thereof and permit the same to rotate. 1 7

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that a coupling has been provided which will automatically couple as socket of a corresponding head. When it is desired. to u ple the headsif the ca s.

leased from engagement with the coupling wheels thereby freeing the wheels whereupon these wheels will permit the coupling heads to disengage the cars at a desired point.

Therefore a comparatively simple coupling has been provided for cars which may be actuated manually or by the use of com- )ressed air for allowin the cou lin heads to disengage while the heads are so constructed as to be at all times in a set position to automatically couple when two heads are moved into engagement with eachjother.

' The foregoing description and accompanying drawing have reference to what .and arrangement of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and .mightbe considered to be the preferred or 7 approved form of my invention.- I desire fall within the scope of the appended claims. I v

' Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A couplingcomprising each having a long arm and a short arm thus providing a receiving pocket therebetween for receiving the long arm, fsaid long arm of the other headhaving a slot formed therethrough, acoupling vwheel positioned within said slot and consisting of a -body having lingersextending therefrom at a tangent, a shaft carried by the long arm and passing through said body for rotatably supporting said wheel, said long arm -also. having a receiving socket. formed therein beyond said slot to receive a finger of the wheel of the other. head, a latch carried-by 'thehead and engaging one of said fingers for releasably holding the coupling wheel against rotation in one direction, and means for moving said latch from engagement with said wheels. 1

a pair of heads 2. A. coupling comprising a pair of heads each havingalong armand ashort arm thus providing a receiving pocket'therebetween for receiving the long arm of the other head, said long arm having a slot formed therethrough, a coupling wheel positioned within said slot and comprising a body hav-.

ing fingers extending therefrom at'a tan-f gent, a shaft carried bythe long arm and passingthrough said body .for frotatably supporting said wheel, said long arm also having a receiving pocket formed therein beyond said slot te receive a finger of the wheel of the other head, a latch carried by the head and engaging one of saidfingers, for releasably holding the coupling wheels against rotation in one direction, cranks ro tatably carried upon said arm and having a cam portion adapted to extend in a slot provided in the head, whereby when said cranks are rotated said latch will be released from engagement with said wheels.

3. A coupling comprising a pair of heads each having a receiving pocket therein for receiving portions of the other head, said head having a slot, a coupling wheel rotatably carried within said slot and projecting into said pocket and also beyond the coupling head, said wheel including fingers having notches in their ends, a flat spring carried on each head and engaging a finger within its notch, thus holding the coupling Wheel against rotation in one direction, cranks carried upon said heads and provided with cam portions adapted to extend between said spring and said head whereby when same is rotated said cam portion will move said spring outwardly from engagement with said finger.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. HATHAVVAY. Witnesses ARTHUR M. CONSLEY, LORING W. JORDAN. 

